


The Prince

by asagao_trash



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-06-09 04:53:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6890977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asagao_trash/pseuds/asagao_trash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hana Mizuno is next in line for the throne, but all she truly wants is to lead a normal life, and to meet new friends. However, her parents have fallen into hard political times, and although they want what's best for their daughter, she needs to make an important decision about her future for the benefit of their kingdom. (This is the main fic, but once I finish it I'll take requests of Hana falling for the others... it'll make more sense later. I hope you enjoy, and I apologize if my writing is questionable.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Best Part of Waking Up

\---In her dreams, Hana sighed peacefully. She was outside the castle walls, with no guards around her, no protects, no one but her own thoughts and the stunning sight of swaying meadows and bright blue sky. For once, she felt she didn’t have to worry about her future. There were no castle walls for her here, and no privileges or obligations than any other… peasant. She hated the word, as nobles who visited often said it with disdain on theirs tongues. They were just people, to her. People she wanted to know. Besides Mai, her maidservant and best friend, and her parents, she knew very few people. The scenery around her shuddered as a bright flash of red bounced in front of her. Then, she felt the earth shake and heard distant voices. With a jolt, she realized her freedom had only been a dream.---

“Hana! Hana! Wake up, Hana!” Mai flung herself onto the bed, hopping up and down. She smiled down at the small-framed girl as she opened her eyes groggily. Sitting up, Hana saw her best friend. She was as she always seemed to be, in her maidservant dress and her bright smile, as well as her energetic jade eyes. Although she didn’t much enjoy waking up so abrasively, Hana didn’t mind as much, considering what she got to wake up to.

“What… what is it?” She stretched, yawning loudly, before finally got her answer.

“Well, at first I just wanted to say good morning, but then I totally accidentally stopped by the kitchen, because I was hungry of course, and Mimi would not stop talking about something to the staff, and apparently-” Her face contorted into an expression of confusion, and then she turned her head from side to side, trying to decide if she was going to continue speaking. Hana nodded at her, though she couldn’t help but also be confused at what she was trying to say.

“Uhm...” Her voice trailed off, “I think you should probably talk to your parents.” Mai glanced up at her sheepishly, apologizing. 

Now, to many other people, or at least she’d assume, saying “talk to this person” (even if it were your parents), they wouldn’t really worry, probably. But for her, as was her status, “talking to your parents” could mean anything from “we’re going to war” or “there’s an evil witch here to take you away and lock you up in a tower”. Well, of course, it could be something totally normal, maybe even exciting, but the first and only thought prevalent in her mind was that it was something bad. Panic beginning to bubble up in her chest. Seeing this, Mai rested her hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

“Don’t worry! I’m pretty sure you’ll like them- I mean it!” She said hurriedly. That didn’t help at all. 

After Mai helped Hana into her usual blue-green dress, and combed her hair. Hana put the red bow into her own hair as she always did, and the two of them talked as they always had. Mai had heard rumors that a handsome prince was coming into town to visit, though Hana dismissed this rumor. Her parents always told her when visitors were arriving, as to prepare her. They didn’t always do this, but after one too many times of horrifically embarrassing herself in front of important business, she insisted she be informed so that she could act in a way that would make them proud. But, she hadn’t heard anything about a visitor. Dinner last night was a little odd though, as her parents’ smiles seemed forced, but she had brushed it aside as just being politics that they didn’t want to bore her with. Was something else going on?

Something was definitely going on.


	2. Breaking the News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I still have no idea what I'm writing but I hope ya like it

She walked as she was taught to. Her posture was perfect, her steps quiet and soft. Her only issue was, despite all her years of training and correction, she always looked down at the ground as she walked. She didn’t really show it to anyone but Mai and her parents, but her confidence was something that… needed improvement. Though, it’s not like she knew many people to begin with. As a child, she was often allowed outside the gates but as she got older, and the townspeople began to recognize her, her parents deemed it too dangerous. 

Hana recollected the fun she had when she was out in the town. That, after all, was where she met Mai. They used to play together in the streets, basically inseparable. This went on for years. Mai knew who she was, but never treated her differently. Mai would take her into the meadows, they’d climb up trees, they’d play in the river, and Hana would tell her countless stories of the people she had met from far-off lands. They’d teach each other how to envision a world outside of their own. Hana even taught Mai how to read and write.

Eventually, she received the news. She was older at this point, about ten years of age. Her parents brought her into the library and told her that they had received news that nearby kingdoms had reported their daughters missing, possibly kidnapped. This had been going on for years, apparently, but at that time the number of incidents were increasing. They feared for her safety, and begged her to stay in the castle gates, to at least put their mind at ease. She agreed, as she wanted her parents to be happy, but on one condition: Mai come live with them, in the castle. Eventually, they made a deal. She could live with them, as long as she acted as Hana’s handmaiden. No one seemed to have any protests with that, especially not Mai.-

Hana realized that she was walking in circles at this point. She had been in front of her parents’ door for a while now, and panic was again rising in her throat. Her hands shook as she knocked, tucking a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear before entering. 

Her parents were sitting down, whispering to one another about something. Once they saw her, they hushed. Her father beckoned her near, and she complied. A million thoughts raced around her mind, there was no way this was good news. Both their faces were grim, and her mother looked nervous, wringing her hands together.

“Hana…” Her father spoke, and his hushed tone of voice made her heart stop. She nodded at him, and her mother reached out to grab her husband’s hand, as well as her daughter’s. 

“You see, the kingdom… has fallen on hard times. We’re not as politically successful as we used to be, and the surrounding kingdoms are beginning to see us as… weak. And they want our land.” Her mother almost whispered this. Hana’s skin crawled as she tried to understand why they were so nervous to tell her this.

“We need… we need a strong neighboring kingdom to be on our side. And we have a way to do that, but we want you to at least be able to,” he paused, fishing for the right words, “we need you to help us with it.” Hana shot a puzzled glance at them.

“W-well, what do I have to offer? There is nothing I have that you don’t.” Tears prickled her eyes even though she still didn’t know what they were getting at. They exchanged looks again.

“You have… you. You’re 16 now, Hana, and the kingdom is looking to you to see who’s going to rule us. They won’t let you do it alone, as much as we’d love you to. Your father and I don’t want to have to do this, we really don’t, and we know you may not forgive us for this, but…” Hana’s head spun as her mother quickly spoke. She nodded again, a single tear spilling onto her cheek. Seeing this, her father winced.

“We need you to find a husband.”

The next five minutes were a blur. Tears flooded her eyes as she shook with panic, and her vision could only barely make out the sight of her parents crying slightly, too. She was mad. For six years now all she wanted was to meet new people. Would she even be able to get to know her ‘husband’? Would she just be married off instantly, not being able to visit again? What would happen to Mai? The room began to spin as she rushed out of the room, not caring who saw her. Her parent’s didn’t try to stop her. In a moment of adrenaline she rushed outside into the courtyard, wiping tears away as she tried to think of her next step. 

Her eyes fell upon the gate. She couldn’t leave. Could she? Where would she go? At this point, she didn’t care. She wanted out, at least for a little. 

At a normal pace as to not attract attention, she stepped her way over to the metal gate, and opened it. She had thought about doing this a lot, and having guards try and stop her, or a creaking noise signal her departure. But there was none of that. It opened unceremoniously, and she tenderly stepped outside. Hana’s breath was still shaky from crying. In fact, her whole body was shaky. She took a step outside.

The path she continued on was lush, full of tall green trees and thick ferns. Several birds chirped overhead, and she smiled at them. The sun was warm, but the shade was a perfect temperature. 

She walked for about an hour in the sunshine, listening to the sounds of the wind against the trees, and appreciating the feeling of the fresh air in her lungs. Hana began to think about the news she had received. She didn’t want to get married. Especially to a stranger. Especially not for political reasons. As a little girl, she’d often wonder what her wedding would be like, and how she’d meet her spouse. She thought she would go off on adventures, and meet a dashing young man with an exciting spirit and caring heart. Instead, it would probably be to some spoiled old man. Maybe her parents would at least give her good options?

Like always, her thoughts were interrupted by someone. Fear flew through her as she remembered she wasn’t supposed to be outside. In a moment of panic, she hid behind a tall bramblebush and tried to locate the sound. It seemed to be a voice, and a close one. It was a male voice, and it took her a minute to realize what it was saying.

“Uhm.. Is someone out there?” The mystery man called out. The tone of voice didn’t sound threatening. In fact, it sounded curious, albeit slightly afraid. She could certainly understand that. Yet all her life she was warned not to trust random men in the woods. 

Unfortunately, she didn’t really get to ponder if she should inspect further. A sudden itch began in her nose, and Hana realized she was surrounded by flowers. They were pretty bluebells, but the pollen made her eyes water. She tried to stop herself- but to no avail. She sneezed very loudly, and a crashing noise startled her right beside the bush she was in. A shadow passed overhead, and instinctively she jumped up.

She accidentally headbutted whoever it was in the nose. He shrieked loudly, and the birds in the nearby trees flew away.

Embarrassed, Hana looked up to see if he was alright, even though her heart was thudding in fear. Whoever he was, he was tall. His hair was a light brown, and he had slight fuzzy facial hair that complimented his admittedly perfect cheekbones nicely. His eyes were wide, and his nose was red and swollen. Which was probably totally her fault. They had an uncomfortable staring contest as he brought up his hand to his face, cringing as he stared at her. They both flushed.

“U-uhm! I’m very sorry I hurt you, are you alright? I didn’t see you there!” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could think of what she was getting herself into. He nodded slightly and looked to the ground, embarrassed.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine I think, sorry if I scared you… I didn’t realize girls hid in bushes in these forests.” The boy laughed, but Hana didn’t really understand why. He was wearing fairly nice clothes, his tunic was the color of his eyes- a deep forest green. A sling was over his shoulder, holding what Hana presumed to be a sword. Awkwardly, she extended her hand for a handshake. He shook her hand- boy his hands were warm- and smiled a bright smile.

“Hello, I’m Jeff!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y I KES i'm a cringy writer. By the way, please keep in mind that this is supposed to be rather cheesy. Thank youuuu alllll <3


	3. Bandits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> literally this is all so cheesy sorry guys

She smiled at the boy- at Jeff. He seemed friendly, but she didn’t know how much she could trust him.

Would she tell him her real name?

Or lie?

She made the decision to trust him. Something about his warm, friendly expression made her know he wouldn’t hurt her.

“I’m Hana!” 

His expression changed instantly, he now looked slightly uncomfortable. Hana tilted her head out of curiosity, wondering if that was the write choice. Jeff looked her up and down, nodding absentmindedly. Now Hana was the one with the uncomfortable gaze. 

“Is… is there a problem?” She asked uncertainly. His head snapped back up to her, and his smile returned, but it didn’t have the same honesty the one she saw just a few minutes ago had. 

“No, there’s no problem. I just didn’t expect to find you out here. We need to go, though, I forgot that I’m… in a bit of a rush.” Jeff said, looking down at his feet. 

We? Was he expecting her to go with him? Why was he even out here? Though, she was out here too, so it wasn’t too far-fetched. He patted her on the head.

“Do you expect me to go with you?” She narrowed her eyes, flinching slightly at the physical contact.

“Well, no, I understand if you don’t want to, and if you don’t trust me, but I’m pretty sure that someone was following me when I got lost, so for your safety I’d really love if you came along. My buddies and I discussed a rendezvous point in case we go lost, so we should probably go there, and then I’ll take you home.” Whenever he spoke, Hana couldn’t help but giving him her attention. Something about his easygoing demeanor, his smile, his warm voice- it made her want to listen. 

Hana looked at the horizon, the sun was beginning to set. She didn’t want to be out this late, but if there really was someone following him… Not only did she want him to be safe, she felt like she would be safer staying with him, too. Surely Mai was worried at this point, and a pang of guilt hit her stomach. She looked up at Jeff again.

“Okay, I’ll go with you.” She was nervous, there was no doubt about that. But she had always craved adventures, right? He smiled again.

“Great! We need to move now, though, because they can’t be too far behind.” His eyes shifted to look past her into the bushes, and gestured that they get going, and they began to walk alongside one another. 

He was still tall. Then again, she was short to begin with, but walking next to him made her realize just how tall he was. His walk was rather dignified, similarly to how she was taught to, which just confused her a bit more. He wasn’t super muscular, nor was he super thin, but somewhere in the middle. She noticed he has a thick-banded ring on his thumb, with a sort of celtic-looking patterning on it. All of his clothes made him seem like he had a higher social rank than a villager, but she didn’t know what his social status could possibly be. He was looking forward for the most part, though occasionally he glanced over to her with a default expression, as if to see if she was still there. They walked in a cozy silence as the walked towards the sunset. The sky was pink. Pink and red. 

“So… where are you from?” He seemed a bit caught off guard by her question, but nodded. 

“Not too far from here. Well, maybe two days worth of traveling. My traveling buddies live maybe five or six days worth.” He looked at her again.

“Oh, okay. What brings you here, then? Or are you just passing through?” Jeff bit his lip and the same uncomfortable expression passed over him. Hana frowned. Was he hiding something? It got very quiet. Awkwardly so, this time.

“Just supposed to be meeting someone, really. We all are.” He was clearly hiding information.

Hana didn’t want to press the topic further. Sure, she was curious, but it wasn’t really her place to ask him any questions he obviously didn’t want to answer.

“What are your friends like?” She asked timidly.   
“Oh! They’re great,” His face relaxed into that cute- Cute? Was it cute?- smile, “There’s two of them. We’ve only just really began getting to know each other. I think you’d really like them. Well, I doubt anyone could not like them. Jirard and Satch are their names. Friendliest guys you’ll ever meet! Jirard is always trying to make everyone happy, no matter what. And Satch constantly is coming up with solutions to people’s problems, which makes them both so good as-” He stopped speaking, and pushed Hana to the ground with a thud.

“What the hel-” She yelled, but he covered her mouth with his hand, looking around frantically. Thoughts raced through her mind. He was more or less laying on her, one hand over her mouth and one propping himself up next to her. He was very close to her, and despite the fear racing through her beating heart she blushed. He leaned closer, looking at her intently.

“Don’t move. They caught up to us.” He whispered to her. Hana could feel the warmth of his breath against her ear. His entire body was warm, actually. She realized he was looking at her for a response, and she nodded. He looked at her, and seemed to actually realize how close they just were, and blushed. Jeff seemed content with her answer though, as he got off her and slowly stood up, his hand reaching to his sword. Hana slowly sat up and looked around, noticing that they were in a clearing, and seeing the shadows of a few humanoid figures in the trees. That’s when the realization and panic really struck. Without thinking she stood up, and Jeff looked sharply at her. It was already dark out. What did those people want?

Four figures stepped out of the shadows. They all wore red masks which covered most of their faces. Seemingly in unison, they shifted their gaze to her. Instant goosebumps crawled down her spin, and her blood ran cold. They all had knives. One stepped forward, and Hana noticed his mask had a single black line running down the center of his face.

“Aye, what so we have here? Two lovebirds out for a stroll?” His voice was gruff, and even though she couldn’t see his face she could hear that he was sneering. He seemed to have some sort of unplaceable accent, and as he spoke to them he gestured with his knife.

“Well, sorry to ruin the fun, but we know who you are, so we’re gonna need to ask you a favor,” He addressed Hana, “And come with us, princess.” They all stepped forward, but Jeff placed himself in front of her, drawing out his sword. 

“No, that’s not happening.” He stared at them calmly, but his voice wavered slightly. They all laughed, and he glanced at her for a second.

“Oh, gonna act all tough now, are ya? That’s real cute.” The bandit snorted with laughter, and got closer. They spread out, and Hana and Jeff were forced back slightly, but he held his guard.

“Don’t move, and don’t try and fight them. Please. I’ll keep you safe.” He whispered to her, and she quivered with anxiety behind him. She tried to speak but no sound came out. He stepped forward, and the next few moments were a blur.

They all rushed him with their knives, but he easily dodged them, kicking one who lunged at him to the ground, hitting another with his elbow, etc. Hana couldn’t really keep up with it all, and tears blurred her vision out of fear. She furiously tried to wipe them away, she wanted to see if he was alright, but by the time her eyesight cleared, the three were on the ground, and Jeff was heaving, his back to her.

Wait.

Three?

It happened quickly. She felt something jerk her back, and there was someone holding on to her, and something pricked her neck. Hana knew this was the knife. 

“Don’t say a word.” Her captor’s breath stank of alcohol and fish, and he grabbed both of her hands. Jeff slowly spun around, absolute fear flashing across his face as he saw the two of them. She bit her lip.

“J-just get out of here…” Hana managed to sputter out, as she felt the knife stinging her skin. The bandit laughed again, and hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. She closed her eyes tightly.

Well, this is what she gets for wanting to adventure. Or wanting anything, really. She was a princess, and yet she was stupid enough to not be content with her life. Just earlier, she was upset at having to get married, and yet here she was, pathetic enough to have a knife to her throat. She could laugh at the mere thought, had laughter been safe. 

“I’d really appreciate it if you let her go.” 

It was a new voice. A deeper voice than the two, and yet despite the current situation seemed calm and collected. Hana opened her eyes, and there were two men standing besides Jeff. They both were holding two other bandits, almost mirror image to the situation she was in. Jeff looked at them both and gave a relieved smiled, while still panting from his fight. 

The two boys were just slightly shorter than Jeff, and Hana figured they were his “buddies” he described. They both had serious looks on their faces, but for some reason she could tell they weren’t usually this serious.

“Yeah, it’s really in your best interest to let her go.” The one on the left spoke, he had a scruffy beard and was wearing a blue tunic, and despite the situation, he smiled. It seemed like he did it upon reflex. His voice seemed very friendly.

A sigh was heard from behind her, and she felt him relax and drop his knife. Immediately, she swung her leg back and stomped on his foot, and then ran over to Jeff. The other two boys- their names were Jirard and Satch, if she remembered correctly- released the bandits. They all scrambled away into the clearing, and as they did, she noticed that none of them had any serious injuries, almost as if the three of them hadn’t wanted to hurt them at all. Now that she thought about it, even though Jeff had his sword, he didn’t actually use it.

With a blush she realized that she was clinging to Jeff, and his arms were wrapped around her slightly. She pulled away.

“T-thank you, you didn’t have to do that.” She addressed them all, the adrenaline beginning to fade. They all laughed at that.

“Are you kidding? Of course we had to! We couldn’t let you be kidnapped by some silly bandit.” The one with the beard spoke, smiling. Actually, she realized everyone was smiling, even her. Jeff looked at the two of them, and then blushed.

“Oh! I should introduce you!” He clapped his hands together. Hana smiled. She had a feeling this was going to take a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow sorry for this??? I'm so bad at writing


	4. In the Inn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly just a filler FROM JEFF'S POV  
> ^^^^   
> It's important  
> Anyways Idk how to introduce the others so I'll just write cute stuff

Man, she was beautiful. Not in the way he had known before, in the ladies that often visited his home, but in a way he could barely describe. She was beautiful in the way that she looked towards the world with wide, curious stares. She was beautiful in the way she looked at him as if she wanted to know every story he could possibly tell. Other girls he had met, sure, they looked nice, but Hana… her smile made the sun shine brighter. Nothing he had expected from a princess. 

Yeah, he definitely knew who she was. He was surprised when he found her in the woods, not just because she jumped out of the bushes and headbutted him, but also because of who she was as a person. He had to admit, he didn’t know she’d have pink hair. It was nice though, especially when they walked during the sunset, and the colors of the sky seemed to match her. Of course, it was much less enjoyable than he had hoped, as fighting off kidnapping bandits wasn’t the most romantic thing ever, but it did just fine. And honestly, at that point he had only known her for a few hours, but seeing her held at knifepoint had been the most frightening thing he had ever experienced. He didn’t know what he would have done if his friends hadn’t gotten there when they did.

But Jeff was trying hard not to get attached. After all, he knew what her future held. He knew it wasn’t up to him. 

They walked quite a bit from the forest, and after laughter and storytelling. She seemed to enjoy the company of the two, telling jokes and practically floating as they walked, even though it was quite dark and cold. She stopped at some point to pick four flowers, and placed one behind each of their ears, met by a subtle blush from them all. Satch and Jirard seemed to really enjoy her company as well, becoming even more kind than he thought was possible from the two. Hana ending up tripping on one of the logs they were walking across, and Satch caught her, and they exchanged a heartwarming smile, and she curtsied her appreciation. Pretty soon, after an hour or so, they arrived at a small inn near the village. After an initial shock of learning there was only one room left, they all sat in said room, with flushed cheeks but smiles on everyone's faces. 

Hana seemed rather bothered though, and sat on one of the two beds, twiddling with the hem of her dress distractedly. She excused herself to go get some fresh air, and Satch and Jirard looked at him steadily. Satch smiled, and sat down, letting out a content sigh.

“She’s really something.” He said softly. Jeff nodded, but Jirard looked at the floor, silent. 

“Should we wait to tell her why we’re here until we return her to her home? I mean, I don’t want to freak her out or anything.” 

“She might get mad though, what if she gets mad that we didn’t tell her?”

They went on like this for a while. Personally, Jeff felt that they shouldn’t tell Hana, but he also didn’t want to lie to her, either. They all decided to wait, though, as they were worried that if she knew, she would change her demeanor around them and put up walls. Plus, she seemed content this way.

Well, maybe not content.

Jeff thought of her preoccupied gaze as they had sat in the room, and how she had gone outside for air. He also wondered what she was doing in the forest in the first place. She didn’t seem upset at something explicitly, but then again he had only known her for a little while, and she could just be easily distracted. His mind wandered again to the fact that she was alone, outside, in the darkness of the night.

“I’ll… be right back. I’m going to go check on her.” Jeff said uncertainly. He wasn’t sure if she wanted company, but he wanted to see if she was alright.

Should he go find her?

Or should he wait?

He decided to go find her, and told Satch and Jirard he would be back in a bit, ignoring their smirks. 

He heard her before he saw her.

Beside the inn, there was a rather large pond, which they all pointed out reflected the moon quite beautifully. She was sitting upon one of the stones there, her head in her hands, sobbing quietly. Tentatively he approached her. He stepped in a way that ensured she wouldn’t be started by him, and sat down besides her. Hana didn’t look him in the eyes.

“H-hello. I-I’m sorry.” Even in those three words her voice broke, as did his heart. He was surprised and confused at this.

“Sorry? Why are you sorry, Hana? You’ve done nothing wrong.” He placed his hand on hers- Man, her hands her small, and cold- and smiled gently. She looked up, eyes still watering, and returned his smile. 

“It’s been a long day, I guess. My… my parents want me to get married,” She bit her lip and frowned, as if that was the first time she had ever said it outloud. “But, I’m scared. I don’t want to marry a stranger. I guess I thought it would be different. Deep down I knew this would happen someday, but…” Hana sighed. “I wanted to fall in love.” Jeff thought about what she had said. He felt rather foolish, now, assuming she was okay with it all.

“By the way, I’m sorry for getting caught by that bandit earlier. I should have been more careful. Thank you for… for rescuing me. And I’m sorry I headbutted you.” She smiled slightly as she said the last statement. Jeff adjusted himself so that he could face her better.

“Hey. You don’t need to apologize for any of that. I’m sorry I put you in danger, if anything.” Jeff tried to focus in the words he was saying, but in the light of the moon she looked so lovely. “I’m sorry to hear about the marriage situation, though. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.” He hesitantly wrapped her in a hug, and she graciously accepted, whispering a thank you.

“Can you promise me this, though?” Hana whispered.

“Of course, what is it?”

“Will you stay with me as long as you can? I… like having you around…”

“Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how does one write stuff  
> this chapter feels short sorry


	5. Hellos Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man, sorry if this is short or something I just really don't know what I'm doing  
> Also, it is 1 am  
> so forgive any grammar errors I make

The next morning passed by rather uneventfully. They woke up in their beds, which, despite her embarrassment, her and Jeff shared a bed since there were only two, and continued their way back to Hana’s home.

Jeff’s cheeks were rather rosy the whole way there. Satch and Jirard noticed, but said nothing, though Satch kept throwing him strange looks. Hana noticed none of these things, as she was mainly worried what her parents would think, as she was gone all day, and now was showing up at her doorstep with three strange men. She also wondered if Mai was okay. Surely she was worried far more than her parents. 

It hardly took long for them to arrive back to the castle. She expected her three companions to be shocked, at the very least, maybe even made at the fact that her front door happened to be the front door of this kingdom’s royalty, but they said nothing unusual. In fact, looking back at Jeff, his response was only a reassuring smile. 

Walking into the common room with the three, she was thrown to the ground by an ecstatic screaming Mai. Instantly, Satch and Jeff sprinted forward, trying to pry her off of Hana. Mai sprung up, kicking Jeff in the knees.

“Did you kidnap her?? DID YOU???” Mai yelled, scaring everyone as she grabbed Jeff by the shirt collar, raising a hand. Hana pried herself between the two, shaking her head furiously.

“Mai, relax. I’m fine, no kidnapping was done. In fact, he saved me from people who wanted to kidnap me!” Hana explained, glancing over at an awe-struck Jirard momentarily. Mai followed her gaze, and spun around, shoving Jirard’s shoulder aggressively. 

“Oh, so YOU tried to kidnap her, then?” Mai accused, and Jirard’s expression contorted into one of panic.

“No! Of course not!” He raised his arms defensively, before Hana again separated the two. After a few moments of more confusion, Hana got her up-to-date on the current situation, leaving out trivial details, such as the bed thing, and the night prior out at the pond. Mai interrupted a couple of times, but otherwise it was a smooth process. There was a silent pause afterward, and Mai looked at Jeff, Jirard, and Satch, and then gave a sideways glance to Hana.

“Hana, can I talk to you… Alone?” She looked down at her feet, her green eyes worried. Hana’s heart fluttered. Those types of sentences always made her nervous. She nodded regardless, and they excused themselves and walked into the next room.

“...Yes?” Hana asked hesitantly, and a smile erupted on Mai’s lips. A nervous one, but a smile nonetheless. 

 

“SO, your parents thought you were home all this time, because I covered for you, so you’re welcome, but there are also 12 boys here who wish to meet you… Which I’m very sorry for. I didn’t realize you’d be so upset about the marriage thing, though I should have,” She paused, sighing gently. “I guess I just was excited at the prospect of you starting a new life, like you’ve always wanted.” Hana hugged her tight, but her heart sped up when she heard the fact that there were 11 possible suitors in these very walls, all waiting to see her.

“It’s okay Mai, I’m sorry for running off like that.” Relief flooded Mai’s face, and she smirked.

“So, traveling with three handsome boys? I didn’t know you had it in you.” Mai winked and Hana’s ears burned, letting out a squeal of embarassment.

“It’s nothing like that, jeez!” She shook her head, covering her blushing face with her hands.

“Oh, come on, I can see how he looks at you,” Mai gestured to the other room, though Hana honestly had no idea who she was referring to. She furrowed her brow in confusion. “By the way, is the cute bearded one taken? You don’t get to have all the fun, you know!”

Two hours later, and she had said goodbye to Jeff and the others, even though he gave her a simple sideways smile and told her that they’d see each other again soon. Then, she had bathed, gotten into a new dress, and retold Mai all the stories, adding more detail this time. Her bath was absolutely needed, as bruises and dirt seemed to cover her legs. The dress she now wore was a cloudy grey color, with a flower print embroidered onto the chest and the skirt part of it. It had always been one of her favorites, as it was the only one she seemed to look even slightly curvy in. She took a deep breath as she evaluated herself in the mirror, realizing that it would be in that dress that her future husband would see her in first. The thought unnerved her, and she spent a while flittering about her room anxiously. Soon, it was time for her to meet them.

Her parents met her in the dining hall, beaming brightly at her as the nerves pounded in her skull, a dull headache forming. This was really happening, she thought. In a few minutes, she would meet her future spouse.

They explained to her that the next couple of days would be pretty critical, and she needed to introduce herself to them all, and get to know them. 

“Remember to be yourself, because you’re going to spend the rest of your life with this man.” Her mother, Cassandra, spoke gently as she brushed a strand of hair out of Hana’s face. 

“And remember that we’ll still love you, no matter which one of these fifteen boys you choose.” Her father, named Weylin, said curtly.

Wait, fifteen? The number had grown since she had last heard. That means there were somehow four more suitors in the castle as of four hours ago. She cringed slightly, remembering Jeff’s goodbye. She hadn’t wanted him to leave.

Her father led her into the library, which was almost overwhelmingly in chatter. Fifteen boys stood around, talking like they had been best friends all their lives. In fact, it was so busy Hana couldn’t even see everyone’s faces. She was very intimidated, and so she clung heavily to her father’s side. 

Upon her arrival, many of the boys stopped and watched her patiently. Her ears burned with embarrassment from so many pairs of eyes all clearly evaluating her. Some smiled, some looked bored, one even… Sparkled?

But then her eyes fell on one of the last boys in the room, who was grinning sheepishly at her.

It was Jeff. 

And looking around, she noticed that Satch and Jirard where there, too.

Confusion filled her as she stared at him, and she remembered how he had evaded all her questions on where he was going, didn’t seem surprised at the fact she lived in the castle, and told her that they’d seen each other soon. He had already known, probably since the beginning, who she was. He already knew that he was going to be one of the suitors.   
She was actually quite… mad? Was that the word? Hana didn’t know at that point, yet she forced her eyes to look at the other princes… oh boy, that meant Jeff was a prince, then? She had headbutted him in the nose! Oh dear.

A couple of the boys looked bored, like one with dirty brown hair and an icy blue disinterested gaze. Others were just staring at her, studying her movements, like a tall boy with a mop of brown hair and a scruffy chin, and some still hadn’t noticed her arrival, like three boys in the corner who seemed to be doing some sort of dancing. Hana tried her best not to stare at Je- anyone, at that point. She turned to her father, who simply shrugged.

Hana figured she should better start to get to know these boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try my best to get pt 2 up tomorrow night, we'll see if that actually happens


	6. Hellos Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to meet dem boyz

Once Hana’s father cleared his throat, all the boys lined up politely side-by-side. They were staring rather intently at her. She blushed and curtsied politely, noticing that they all actually looked like rather interesting people. It didn’t hurt that each one was fairly attractive. Her father’s sharp voice cut through her thoughts, surprising her.

“Alright. You may all be fancy rich princes, but this here is the pride and joy of the kingdom. She is our flower, if you will. You will respect her, or you will have to deal with me. Do you understand?” He shouted, startling everyone in the room. Even Hana had never heard him so outspoken before. She could certainly tell, though, that he was rather emotional. At least she wasn’t the only one who didn’t want her to get married. Her father turned to her and smiled, gesturing to introduce herself. She didn’t really know what to say.

“Oh… My name is Hana! Uhm, I’m glad you could all be here. I look forward to meeting you all!” She said nervously, chewing her lip. A couple of them chuckled at her greeting, but most of them smiled and nodded.

They decided it was best for her to meet them one by one in the library, and so as Hana met each one, the rest all mainly toured the castle and ate in the dining hall. She first met with a dashing young man named Jared.

Instantly, as she walked into the room to meet him, he dropped to one knee, grabbing her hand and kissing it gently. She was embarrassed at this overzealous gesture, and giggled slightly. As he got up she noticed he was very tall, and smelled faintly of ham. He also seemed to be the one she noticed earlier, the one who sparkled. It was strange, but she just assumed it must be something from his kingdom or something. He was wearing a blue tunic, and his well-kept hair was a mousy brown.

“Well hello there, princess.” As he spoke, she noticed his voice reminded her of silk. He was trying to woo her, which she should have expected, but he seemed almost bored.

“Hello Jared.” Hana tried to seem formal, but she ended up laughing while saying his name. He seemed to be caught off guard by this. However, the rest of the meeting went rather well. He told her all the things he liked, a little bit about his kingdom, and occasionally threw in some flirtatious remarks. When he wasn’t flirting with her, she was rather comfortable around him. She found him rather fun to be around, but she certainly didn’t want to marry him. He talked a lot about himself, and seemed like he would be hard to get to know. Plus, he seemed too perfect for someone like her. 

The next boy she met was Luke. He… well, he was actually rather amazing. He had dark brown hair, with a bit of scruffy facial hair, and seemed to be both energized and cool and collected. In their first moments together, he asked how she was. Which surprised her, as it had been awhile since anyone had asked that. When she spoke, he genuinely listened, and that was refreshing to her. The rest of their time together was spent sharing stories, his eyes twinkling every time she spoke. He wore red, and he often laughed. Hana liked him quite a bit. 

She met Jimmy next. He wore yellow, and a constant look of discomfort was plastered on his face. He was very nice, and she could see herself being friends with him, but after not even two minutes of talking he clarified that he was actually gay, but he didn’t want his parents to know, so he came to pretend to try and woo Hana. At first she was surprised, and they were both rather embarrassed, but then they worked past it and ended up talking about how neither of them wanted to get married. Hana told him that if he ever needed to have a fake courtship again, she would be available for only a little longer, and they both laughed nervously. 

Satch was the next one she was “introduced” to, and she had mixed feelings. Sure, he had no obligations to tell her that he was a prince when they first met, but she was still mad about it. Hana begrudgingly forgave him once she saw how much his eyes lit up when she told him she was glad to see him again. He was a bit more formal than the others, but his cheeks flushed whenever she addressed him by his name. Satch seemed really fun to be around, and she felt a bit of a connection due to the fact that they already knew each other. He was a bit distracted during conversation, which he apologized for. They were in the library, and he was impressed at their extensive collection. Hana liked the books too, some days she would sit in the library for hours reading random fictions, imagining herself in the place of the protagonist. There were several occasions that she fell asleep in there.

The next boy she met… well, strangely enough, it was three. They all walked in together, much to the confusion of Hana. They sat down chattering loudly, but paid no attention to Hana until she cleared her throat. The middle boy, with dark hair and blue eyes, snapped his head to look at her. His eyes widened, and he nudged the two beside him. They, too, looked up, and she noticed they were all blushing quite a bit. They clumsily introduced themselves as Paul, Nick, and Josh. After a few moments of awkward pauses, she asked why there were all together. Nick and Josh simply shrugged, but Paul explained that they were from neighboring kingdoms and had grown up together, and were just really great friends. Hana supposed it was interesting, but understood nevertheless. They said goodbye with blushes on their faces.

Jon walked in next. He was… a character. He burst into the door, bounding up to her. He wore a blue tunic, and surprisingly had a little green bird on his shoulder. He started theatrically exaggerating his movements, telling her a story about far-off lands, and how they could visit them together with Jacques, whoever that was. Jon seemed very passionate about all this. Yet, Hana couldn’t help but wonder if he was just acting. He barely spoke a word to her and yet recited line after line of romantic poetry. She was rather embarrassed about it all.

A boy with a similar story to Jimmy’s walked in, his name was Ian. He seemed very cold and distant, with a purple tunic and an almost-scowl on his face. He was very surprised, however, at the fact that she was okay with the fact he was gay. Hana laughed, and told him that another prince had come in earlier with almost the exact same story, which brought an even more surprised look to his face. Ian seemed to open up a bit more after that, and they had some quality conversation about how excessive it was that they had to be taught how to walk “properly”.

After Ian, she met Wallid, who asked her questions relentlessly and kept cracking jokes she didn’t understand. She still laughed, but made a mental note to try and ask someone what a “Nario” was. He seemed pretty excited about it, and he talked rather fast, which left her head spinning.

Caddy was similar in speech pattern, but instead of jokes, he described to her about his involvement in his kingdom’s military system, and how he had been at a stand-still with one of the neighboring kingdom’s armies, and that he would probably not hesitate to hurt the prince of that kingdom if he was there. Hana gulped and made a mental note not to get on his bad side.

Austin was odd. As soon as he walked in and saw her, he gasped, then quickly tried to hide any expression of surprise he had just had. He seemed extremely anxious and tired, but still tried to keep himself composed. Hana asked him why he was so surprised to seeing her, and much to her shock he admitted he had seen her in a dream once. He didn’t seem to want to elaborate much, based on the redness of his cheeks and him avoiding eye contact, choosing instead to glare at one of the books. She found it strange, but almost like she had known him before, too. Like, in another lifetime, perhaps. Austin told her he lived very close to her kingdom, and the two of them made small talk, but stared at each other puzzledly, trying to figure the other out. He was even taller than Jeff, and much thinner. Oddly enough, despite the situation, Hana was not uncomfortable in his presence one bit.

After Austin left, Jirard walked in, very happy to see her. He seemed like an excited puppy. Once they finished with their enthusiastic greeting, however, he started asking her questions about Mai. Hana found it strange, but nevertheless answered most of them. She tried to ask how he was, which he smiled even bigger than usual and said he was fantastic, and then reverted the question back to Mai. She made a mental note to tell her best friend about it and to keep an eye on Jirard.

Hana didn’t even want to talk to Shane. From the moment he walked in he seemed to hate her, and every word she spoke was met with disdain from his upturned nose. He was handsome, but he seemed to look at her as if she was not worth talking to, which greatly upset her. They didn’t talk much, though as the time grew longer he seemed to soften a bit, his accented voice becoming more kind. She could tell he was the type of person who seemed mean and cruel, but was actually very kind-hearted. He spoke about art with her, and his eyes twinkled as he reminisced about drawing and painting. It was almost cute, despite their rough start. 

Of course, Jeff was last. She was both relieved and anxious to see him, and he drew her into a hesitant hug once he walked in. They pulled away, both blushing. He asked her how she was, and Hana told him the honest truth. She was exhausted. She had just met 14 different boys, all extremely different in personality and looks. He laughed and patted her on the head, informing her that pretty much all of them walked out of the library with blushing faces, and as the day grew later there was more and more talk of her at the dinner tables. Hana shook her head incredulously, as she thought that none of them liked her one bit. She realized she had said that out loud, and Jeff laughed loudly, and told her that there wasn’t a single reason why anyone wouldn’t like her. They both blushed again, and she quickly changed the subject. She asked him how he was. He apparently was well, though spending the entire day in the castle doing nothing but talk to boys with shot cupid’s arrows was not the most fun adventure he had ever been on. She smiled sideways at him, and he hurriedly clarified that he did enjoy being there. 

Hana confessed that she was rather nervous, as even though she had the entire day, she felt like she was even more lost than before on what she was going to do. Sure, she had a general idea of which each one of the suitors were like, but she was nowhere near actually knowing them as people. Jeff nodded in understanding, and then his eyes sparked, as if he had an idea.

“Oh, why don’t you have a ball?” He suggested.

And so it was decided, they would have a ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm writing this anyways. If you have any plot suggestions, it's probably best to send them here: http://asagao-trash.tumblr.com/  
> Anyways, I'll try and update as soon as I can, I'm shooting for once every two days, unless you guys want decent-sized chapters because most of these are gonna be short.


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